David Del Rio‘s wife, actress Katherine Del Rio, hit out at his Matlock co-star Leah Lewis on Thursday (October 9) after her husband was fired from the CBS legal drama after being accused of sexual assault.
The alleged incident took place on September 26, and is said to have been reported on October 2. CBS Studios immediately investigated the alleged incident and, following an internal investigation, Del Rio was fired and escorted off set (Matlock is currently in the middle of filming its second season).
After the news broke, Lewis took to her Instagram Stories to share a photo of her and her mom, writing, “Mom is here. We’re moving forward in love and strength. I’m in good hands. Thank you to everybody for any kind of support and care. Truly, we’re moving forward in strength. Key word, strength. Let that be the takeaway.”
Katherine later reacted to Lewis’ post, calling the actress “disturbing,” US Weekly reported. She posted and deleted an Instagram Story that featured a zoomed-in picture of Lewis’ face from her photo with her mom. In the caption, Katherine allegedly wrote, “This is the most disturbing human being I have ever met.”
Leah Lewis Instagram
Deadline reported that she also posted and deleted another Instagram Story, mimicking Lewis’ own post. Katherine shared a photo of her and her own mom, writing, “Mom is here. We’re moving forward in love and strength after what Leah did to our family. Thank you all for the love and support!”
Katherine Del Rio Instagram
Del Rio himself has yet to publicly comment on the allegations.
His character will be written out of Matlock, which is going on a pre-scheduled filming hiatus next week as the first half of Season 2 is completed. Filming is set to resume after Thanksgiving.
Del Rio and Lewis play lawyers Billy Martinez and Sarah Franklin, respectively, on Matlock, and share many of their scenes. The show’s second season is scheduled to premiere this Sunday (October 12).
Lewis, who previously played Georgia Fan on The CW adaptation of Nancy Drew, was adopted from an orphanage in Shanghai when she was six months old, similar to her character in Matlock. Her younger, non-biological sister, Lydia, was later adopted from the same orphanage.
In addition to acting, Lewis sings and plays guitar. In May 2016, it was reported that she began dating singer and actor Payson Lewis; it’s unclear if the couple is still together.
Del Rio and Katherine first met in 2010 after the latter went to see In the Heights on Broadway, in which Del Rio was a cast member. The pair met at the stage door after the show and later began dating. The couple tied the knot eight years later and have two children.
If you or someone you know is the victim of sexual assault, contact the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network‘s National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673). If you or a loved one is in immediate danger, call 911.